May 9 - Prayer - Thoughts and questions - Verses

May 9

Heavenly Father, how often do we as Your children take the "easy" way out or the way that is best for us rather than what You ask us to do? I know that everything we have is Yours and every talent we have been given is a gift from You, so I truly feel it is Yours to use as You see fit, but there are so many times, Lord that I am tired or just want to not think about what is best for others. I must admit that often my mind goes to the easy and convenient path, or the way that makes my day simpler. You never called us to an easy, stress free life, but that is where my mind seems to drift when I am not focused on You and what You are calling me to do. At the Last Supper with Jesus and His disciples He didn't tell them "if we have trouble", but "when we have trouble", He would be there with us and would never leave us. Thank You Father for giving us Your love, support, encouragement and presence to get through whatever life brings.

In Jesus name!

Amen.

Because of the bountiful blessings of God, Lot and Abram could no longer stay together and keep peace. How often do we focus on the gifts and allow them to take our focus off the giver?

We see that Lot took the land that was lush, pretty, and close to cities, while he left the less desirable area for Abram. We know that Sodom and Gomorrah were very wicked cities, filled with people who were great sinners, and were a temptation Lot was unable to resist.

What in your life has attracted you but later you realized it wasn’t where God wanted you to be?

In hindsight do you feel God was able to take that situation of disobedience and draw you closer to Him?

Genesis 13:1-18

13 So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. 5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.

8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.